1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protocol control integrated circuit to be incorporated into a system which makes data-interchange communications with portable type medium, and more particularly to a protocol control integrated circuit for use in a variety of transaction apparatuses capable of handling digital money (electronic money, E-money) and credit transactions, such as ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines), ECRs (Electric Cash Registers), digital money load terminals, electronic purses, POS terminals/hand-held POS terminals (handy POSs)/POS servers constituting POS (Point Of Sales) systems, with this integrated circuit functioning as an interface device intervening between the aforesaid variety of transaction systems and portable mediums containing digital money [for example, IC (Integrated Circuit) cards].
In recent years, from the standpoint of the safety of settlement, convenience and others, interest has been shown toward so-called digital money which utilizes electronic digital data as cash and yet which serves as a settlement means replacing such currency as paper money and coinage, and it has been put to practical use in various approaches different in an issuing mode, circulation mode or settlement mode. A different approach requires a different protocol dealing with the digital money.
For this reason, systems, dealing with digital money, have needed the emergence of a standard component which enables easy processing of a plurality of types of digital money different in protocol from each other.
2) Description of the Related Art
As noted above, in recent years, various apparatuses, such as ATMs, ECRs, digital money load terminals, electronic purses, POS terminals, handy POSs, POS servers, and others, have been developed as a transaction system handling digital money defined as a symbol of electronic currency.
Because each of these apparatuses needs a different specification such as its CPU performance and display performance, the design of a CPU, a memory, a display control circuit, an input control circuit, an IC card control circuit, and others have been made to establish the optimal specification for each apparatus. Additionally, there has been a need to create programs for controlling these circuits.
Furthermore, while various types of digital money have been put to practical use as mentioned above, each of these types requires a different protocol for handling that digital money. Accordingly, a need for a different control program in the apparatus, which handles that digital money, arises from the difference among the digital money types.
In most cases, in manufacturing an apparatus which handles digital money, there is a need to gain approval of the digital money specification making side or the like in a design process for that apparatus at every apparatus and digital money type. Additionally, for gaining this approval, there is a need to perform various verifications (confirmation work) as to whether or not the control programs are properly produced on the basis of a protocol prescribed for each type, or whether or not the control is correctly run in terms of the error check, and further to present the verification results.
However, the following objects and requests have existed heretofore.
(1) Because of the requirement of development of a control program for each apparatus, a large number of test man-hours (or man-days), that is, design and development man-hours, should be taken for the purpose of securing the reliability at the development of the control program. Additionally, in the case that one apparatus deals with a plurality of models of digital money different in mode (protocol), a need for developing a control program exists at every mode of digital money, and, naturally, like tests must be run in terms of the control program associated with each protocol, thus resulting in increased test man-hours.
(2) If a need for approval exists, gaining the approval requires the exhibition of an extremely great deal of verification results depending upon the mode of digital money, and the confirmation operations to obtain such verification results reach an enormous number of man-hours. Moreover, in the case that one apparatus handles a plurality of models of digital money different in mode (protocol), the approval at every mode contributes to a further increase in the number of man-hours for the foregoing confirmation operations.
(3) A control logic or a cipher key for a digital money control program is preferable to be retained invisibly from the external from the viewpoint of security and, for this reason, it is necessary to take measures for security, such as by covering the entire apparatus or the periphery of a CPU or a memory with a resin. However, the covering of the entire apparatus leads to a large-scale operation. Hence, the range for effecting the security is desirably limited as much as possible.